Porsche Motorsports Newsletter 3 – 2012

Porsche Motorsport around the world

World Endurance Championship: the 911 GT3 RSR wins both GT classes
At round two of the World Endurance Championship in Belgium’s Spa (5 May), works drivers Marc Lieb (GER) and Richard Lietz (AUT) won the GTE Pro class with the new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton. In a dramatic final phase of the six hour race, the leading Lietz staved off constant attacks to win six-tenths of a second up on the Ferrari. Driving the IMSA Performance Matmut 911 GT3 RSR, the all-French crew of Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac and Anthony Pons won the GTE Am class ahead of Christian Ried (GER), Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti (both ITA) in Felbermayr-Proton’s GT3 RSR. Fielded in this category are last year’s race cars in which only one of the driver line up is permitted to be a professional.

International GT Open: Two victories for 911 GT3 RSR and Manthey Racing
In Manthey Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (GER) and Britain’s Nick Tandy clinched the two season-opening races of the International GT Open in the Autodromo do Algarve, Portugal (28/29 April) despite the changeable weather and a difficult tyre choice. Race two concluded with a triple win for Porsche: Factory pilot Patrick Pilet teamed up with Raymond Narac (both FRA) to net second in the GT3 RSR of IMSA Performance Matmut Racing ahead of Archie Hamilton (GBR) and Marco Mapelli (ITA) helming the Autorlando Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Hamilton and Mapelli also won the GTS class.

FIA GT1 World Championship: Win for Mühlner Motorsport after tyre poker
With a Porsche 911 GT3 R campaigned by Exim Bank Team China run by Mühlner Motorsport, Matt Halliday (NZL) and Mike Parisy (FRA) won the second of ten rounds of the FIA GT1 World Championship at Zolder in Belgium (22 April). Two courageous decisions set the course for victory: the team sent start-driver Halliday out on the drying track with wet tyres – and in lap two the expected rain shower arrived. When Parisy took the wheel, the team switched to slicks for the still wet circuit – the track quickly dried up.

Works driver Romain Dumas: WEC win, rally podium, Pikes Peak
Porsche factory pilot Romain Dumas (FRA) scored overall victory on the first weekend in May with his compatriot Loïc Duval and Spaniard Marc Gené in the Audi R18 ultra Le Mans prototype at round two of the World Endurance Championship in Spa. In rallying as well, Dumas demonstrates his skill. At the Lyon-Charbonnières-Rhône rally – a round of the French Championship – Dumas scored third overall with his 911 GT3 RS in April, amongst the all-wheel-drive World Rally Cars. On 8 July, Dumas will fulfil a dream and contest the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R. The ‘Race to the Clouds’ leads over a distance of 20 kilometres through 156 corners from an elevation of 2,860 metres to the summit of Pikes Peak at 4,600 metres.

Carrera Cup Deutschland: Strong start to the season for René Rast
With four races at two successive weekends, the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland took off into its 23rd season. After his win at the season-opener on the Hockenheimring (28 April) René Rast (GER, Team Deutsche Post by tolimit – Team Pole Promotion) followed up with further top placings to assume the lead of the series. Britain’s Sean Edwards (Team Deutsche Post by tolimit) ranks second in the drivers’ classification thanks to victories at race two on the Hockenheimring and race four on the Lausitzring (6 May). The third race of the year on the Lausitzring went to Nicki Thiim (DEN, Hermes Attempto Racing). Porsche Junior Michael Christensen (DEN, Konrad Motorsport) celebrated his first success in the Carrera Cup Deutschland yielding third at race four.

Carrera Cup Australia: Two wins earn Jonny Reid the points lead
Alex Davison (AUS, McElrea Racing) had just one day to enjoy his status as points leader after winning the season-opener on the Barbagallo Raceway near Perth in Western Australia (4 May). With victories at both races on Sunday in the 911 GT3 Cup of Hunter Sports Group, New Zealander Jonny Reid shunted Davison from the top of the points. For the fourth race weekend (18-20 May), the Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia travels to Phillip Island, Victoria.

Carrera Cup Great Britain: Daniel Lloyd ends Michael Meadows’ winning streak
From the second to the fifth race of the Carrera Cup Great Britain, Michael Meadows seemed unbeatable in the 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Redline Racing. The winning streak of last year’s vice-champion was only halted at race six in Thruxton (29 April). Daniel Lloyd – just 20 years old and 2012 recipient of the Carrera Cup Scholarship of Porsche Cars Great Britain – dominated under extreme weather conditions. Lloyd is the first of the young drivers who receive support from Porsche UK to win in his maiden Carrera Cup season.

Carrera Cup Italia: Rookie Daniel Mancinelli makes catapult start to first place
The 23-year-old ex-Formula 3 driver Daniel Mancinelli (ITA) made an impressive debut on the first May weekend (5/6 May) at the season-opening round of the Carrera Cup Italia in Vallelunga. After scoring third at race one on Saturday, the MIK Corse Centro Porsche Padova pilot clinched his first victory on Sunday to take over the championship lead. The winner of race one was seasoned veteran Vito Postiglione at the wheel of the 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Ebimotors – Centro Porsche Milano.

IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge USA: The Snow family writes history
Madison and Melanie Snow (both USA) wrote history at the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama: In the Miller Motorsports Park (Utah, 28 April), 16-year-old Madison won both races in the “Platinum Cup” class for current Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars with a Porsche fielded by Snow Racing/Wright Motorsports. His mother Melanie clinched victory in race 1 of the “Gold Cup” class for older Cup-911. Two weeks later in California, the Snow family repeated their feat in Laguna Seca (12 May) at the second race of the weekend. By now in professional racing there has never been a mother/son victory in one race. Angel Benitez Jr. (USA) claimed “Gold Cup” honours at both Utah and Laguna Seca. Sean Johnston (USA) took the top podium spot in the Platinum Cup class at race one in Laguna Seca.

Race notes: At the start of the French GT Championship season, Laurent Pasquali and Franck Perrera (both FRA) win race two in Lédenon (29 April) in the 911 GT3 R of Pro GT by Almeras. +++ John Potter and Andy Lally (both USA) finish race four of the Grand-Am Series in Milville, New Jersey (13 May) in third with a 911 GT3 RSR of Magnus Racing and now sit second in the GT classification. +++ Works driver Patrick Long (USA) wins the fourth round of the Pirelli World Challenge in Salt Lake City (27 April) in the 911 GT3 Cup of Truspeed. +++ Double win for Klark Quinn (AUS) in the VIP Holdings Porsche 911 GT3 R at the first meeting of the Australian GT Championship in Adelaide (4 March). +++ Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) wins both races of the Carrera Cup Asia as support to the F1 Grand Prix in Shanghai (14/15 April) for PICC Team StarChase.